Knit a cute baby sweater with toy bunny

Knitting & Crochet

Knit a cute baby sweater with toy bunny

Sheila, a leading sweater designer and owner of One World Button Supply Co., cites her inspiration for this sweater: "It just seemed natural to me that the soft and fuzzy angora/lambswool blend felt like a
bunny rabbit, and what baby wouldn't want one?"

Skill level Easy

Sizes Instructions are for infant size 3-6 months. Changes for 9 and 18 months are in parentheses. Shown in size 9 months.

Bunny: • One set (4) size 4 (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles (dpns) for bunny
(Note: Short wooden ones work best with the small number of stitches.) • Two large safety pins for stitch holders
• Stitch marker
• Washable stuffing
• Tapestry needle

Construction notesSweater: 1. This sweater is worked in pieces from the bottom up.
2. The neckband is worked in the round after the pieces are assembled.

Bunny:
1. The bunny is worked in small pieces on double pointed needles (dpns).
2. The legs are worked first. They are joined to create the body, which is decreased for the neck, then increased for the head.
3. The arms and ears are worked last, then sewn to the body after all pieces are stuffed.

Neck shaping Next row (RS): Work across first 15 (18, 21) sts, join a 2nd ball of MC and BO centre 28 sts for back neck, work to end. Working both sides at the same time, dec 1 st from each neck edge once -- 14 (17, 20) sts each side. Work even until piece measures 11-1/2 (12-1/2, 14)"/29 (31.5, 35.5) cm from beg. BO all sts each side.

Front Work as for back until piece measures 9-3/4 (10-3/4, 11-3/4)"/24.5 (27.5, 30) cm from beg, end with a WS row.

Neck shaping Next row (RS): Work across first 19 (22, 25) sts, join a 2nd skein of MC and BO centre 20 sts for front neck, work to end. Working both sides at the same time, BO 3 sts from each neck once, then 2 sts once -- 14 (17, 20) sts each side. Work even until piece measures same length as back to shoulder. BO all sts each side.

Neckband With RS facing, circular needle and MC, pick up and k 86 (86, 90) sts evenly spaced around neck edge. Work around in k2, p2 rib for 3/4"/2 cm. BO all sts loosely in rib.

Place markers 3-3/4 (4-1/4, 5-3/4)"/9.5 (10.5, 14.5) cm down from shoulders on back and front. Sew sleeves to armholes between markers. Sew side and sleeve seams. Centre pocket on front, then sew in place. Using CC, stitch rolled top edge down, using blanket stitch or overcast stitch. With a tapestry needle, weave in loose
yarn tails to the WS of work and secure.

Instructions for the bunny Legs With dpns, CO 6 sts. Divide sts evenly between 3 needles (2 sts on each needle). Join and pm to indicate beg of rnd. Knit 1 rnd.
Next rnd: K1 into front and back of each stitch around -- 12 sts. Cont around in St st for 15 rnds. Place 6 sts on one safety pin and 6 sts on 2nd safety pin. Work 2nd leg as for first; leave sts on needles.

Body Arrange 24 sts from legs in a circle on 3 dpns (8 sts on each). Join and pm to indicate beg of rnd. Work even in St st for 8 rnds.

Separate for armholes *Transfer front 12 sts to one needle and work back and forth in St st for 6 rows. BO 3 sts each side*. Place rem 6 sts on safety pin. Rep from * to * for the 12 back sts -- 6 sts; leave sts on needle.

Finishing Close small opening between legs with tail. Stuff legs, body, head and arms. Sew each "hand" opening closed, then sew open end of arms to armholes. Sew on ears approx 3/4"/2 cm below top of head. With a tapestry needle, run loose yarn tails inside body.

Embroidery With MC, embroider face, then duplicate stitch or
embroider heart.
Want more crafts? Visit us on The Craft Blog for more insider craft tips and ideas.

Excerpted from
The Natural Knitter: How to Choose, Use, and Knit Natural Fibers from Alpaca to Yak by Barbara Albright, with photography by Alexandra Grablewski. Copyright 2007 by Barbara Albright. Excerpted with permission from Potter Craft, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.

Contests

Our 60-Day Holiday Countdown Giveaway is on!

From November 2 to December 31, 2016, we're giving away weekly prizes (for a total value of over $15,000) as part of our 60-Day Holiday Countdown.

For easy access to our weekly prizes, sign up for our 60-Day Holiday Countdown newsletters and you'll receive a daily email featuring a link to enter that week's contest, along with Tested Till Perfect holiday recipes, awesome gift guides, DIY decor ideas and more. You can enter to win each prize once daily until each contest closes.

You can enter to win this week's prize below, and see past contests and winners.

Get crafty with these stylish (and free!) knitting patterns

Slideshow

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Alder headband knitting pattern

This Alpaca headband's soft, thick yarn and easy pattern make it a satisfying quick knit. The headband is designed using a simple two-by-two rib pattern with a unique twist. And it's so practical as an ear warmer, you might be tempted to make it in several winter colours.

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Sundew Hat pom-pom beanie

Quick to knit and extra-cozy, the Sundew Hat is the perfect cold-weather accessory. Whether you are looking to knit a thoughtful last-minute gift or your own quintessential hat, the Sundew Hat is a crowd-pleasing favourite with its classic design and soft texture.

Medallion Mittens

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Ellenesque Felted Bowl knitting pattern

The Ellenesque Bowls are a practical and stylish solution to all your storage needs. Knitting your own bowl is an easy way to create the perfect size vessel for any purpose, and you can choose from a variety of colour options in our Merino Copito yarn to match your home décor.

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Knit a stylish winter headband

On those cold, wintry days when you need something warm around your face, grab your knitting needles, hibernate for a weekend and knit up The Stone and Arrow Winter Set. Designed in bulky yarn, The Arrow Headband and The Stone Scarf come together in a snap.

Stylish knitting patterns for scarves, hats, bags and more

Stone Scarf knitting pattern

The Stone Scarf got its name from its 3D texture, created by alternating knits and purls, that resembles a stonewall. The quirky stone-like bumps are tempered by a garter-stitch border and a slipped selvedge for a tidy edge.